For The Bees

I stepped out this morning on my way to the studio. From the stoop I noticed a youngish man with a little dog. The guy was looking, somewhat transfixed it seemed to me, at the asters. This struck me. I had to ask.

Do you like those asters? "I'm looking for my bees. It seems your flowers are the only thing going right now."

Oh.

"I keep bees about two blocks from here and I like to check out where they're collecting"

Oh. The truly interesting thing that he told me is that, a year ago, he was afraid of bees -ran away from them. One class later, and he's scouting his bees in the neighborhood.

He then asked me if I had any goldenrod. I do, but it's passed, I said. Although they are asters too, I added. In fact, almost everything you see here blooming is an aster, and the bees do flock to them, while they do not seem to have much interest in the blooming chrysanthemums, although common flies well do.

Then, after small talk of moving, flooding basements in the neighborhood, the beach farm, and what have you, we went about our business. I'm glad to see the garden has some unrealized value to people around the block.  Of course, I see the bees, but I figure them for on their own, not part of a honey operation, an apiary. Awesome.